The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-10-26
GRAY'S ANSWER TO yANGUNDY.
The Governor Tries to Laugh Down the Car
roll County Sheriff's Salty Letter.

The letter of Sheriff Vangundy to Governor
Gray. in regard to the Green lynchng. was the
subject of much conversation and not a little
merriment yesterday. The general sentiment
appeared to be that the Sheriff striking
from the shoulder with remarkable skill, and
especially a. to the pardon of jap Choen.
What do you think of VanRundy's letter.
was asked by Journal reporter of Governor
Gray.
at strikes me very funny" was the reply
HE seems to think that because he took the
prisoner along the street to and from the court
house. without being molested that no one in
tended to interfere with him. / presume he ex-
pected them to come with a brass band and
notify him of their intentions. His talk about q
gang of robbers and thieves Infesting the bor-
ders of Cass, Howard and Carroll counties is all
news to me. l don't believe anything of the
kind But if i. were true, it is only the mere
reason why he should be his guard. I don't
want to accuse him of anything worse than
carelessness He certainly ought to have known
there was danger of lynchirg. He saws the pris
oner was delivered TO him, but he doesn't men
ton from where. He was delivered from the
northern penitentiary, and the sheriff must
nave known he was put there on account of
danger Of mob violence. Why. am told that
there have been several excursions to the uorth
from Kokomo and that section, where Of
the attractions held out was the opportunity to
see Green in prison
What was this Jap Choeu casef'
'Jap Choen was convicted of stealing cattle,
principally on the testimony of farmer who
identified a hide found In his possession
coming from animal stolen from him. His
father a respectable farmer of the neigh
borhood and petition for his pardon pre-
sented me, signed by two or three hundred citi-
zens That was when l was serving ont Gov
Williams's unexpired term. l took no action at
the time. Afterward Rufus Magee interested
himself in Cnoens behalf, but still took
action; Then a. Mr. Mcconnell, whom
b,n kne" ,h we'll com sna who stood
for him. I examined the testimony and found
it was a very close case. depending wholly
the identity Of a hide Al length. on the last
day of my term. his father came to me and
cried and begged for his sons pardon. He said
that the conviction WAS the result of a conspir
acy, which originated in some land troubles I
granted his pardon. It afterwards appeared
that Choen was a thief 1t perhaps a mis-
take. but it could be no earthly justification for
Vaneundy's carelessness. in any event"
What have you to say of his point that you
should have given him warning of the dangerp
why. had no knowledge that Green was
there The last heard of him he was at the
even If had known Green was there and in
danger, supposed that any one would know
had no power TO order out the militia unless
called upon by the peace officers OF the county.
sheriff ought to know il if he knows anything.
The statutes are plain enough"
"Was there any need of troops|
deputies, but every sheriff has those The
trouble was that resistance was made to the
mob. So far appears from the reports not
even a voice was raised against the proceeding.
It is a very easy thing for few determined men
to stop a mob. No man in a mob is in pursuit
of an object that be values more highly than his
life. and he will not take great risks in it. When
the mob tried to take the Joneses and Tolliver,
at Paoi. some of their friends got wind of it
and handed them revovers, and they stood off
the entire attacking party. 1 do not think there
a
is a wide-awake fellow and means business"